Auction methods and systems

ABSTRACT

A novel online auction system in which both sellers and buyers are compelled to bid their “true value”. Potential buyers solicit desired items or services and submit sealed bids. A demand curve is created based on buyer bids, and a potential seller can use the curve to create its own sealed bid. A winning seller is determined, however the system uses the bid of the second-lowest bidding seller to establish the ultimate group of winning buyers and sale price. Winning sellers can choose lower prices to capture higher sale quantities. Second or multiple transactions can be implemented from a single bid, if included in the winning set of bids.

CLAIM OF PRIORITY

The following application claims priority to U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 61/256,683, filed Oct. 29, 2009, the complete contentsof which are hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

The present disclosure relates to auctions systems, particularly onlineauction processes.

2. Background

Online auctions represent a popular, important, and often efficient wayof doing business in modern society. Reduced overhead costs allow onlinesellers to offer goods at lower prices than traditional retailers. Bidscan normally be placed at any time of day, from the comfort of one's ownhome, and generally speaking there are no geographical constraints.Because of this ease of access, there can also be a large number ofbidders and sellers, creating a network effect—a large number of bidderscan encourage more sellers, which, in turn, can encourage more bidders,which can encourage more sellers, etc.

However, traditional auction systems have their downfalls. In somesystems, some bidders may have a gambling addition-like mentality wherethey treat an online auction like a game rather than being primarilyconcerned with obtaining goods or services. This can skew the prices ofitems in the auction. Many auction formats require a large investment intime and effort to bid and maintain bids. Standard auction formatsrequire buyers to bid against one another despite being in the samesystem and seeking the same good or service. Many auction systems areseller sided, requiring a seller to list inventory to allow bidding,including group auction models such as reverse Dutch auctions. In otherauctions, there can be uneven representation of items offered forsale—photographs can be inadequate or descriptions may fail to includeimportant information. And perhaps the biggest pitfall in traditionalonline auction systems is non-truthful bidding and ultimate salesprices, the result of strategic bidding over truthful valuation andspending limits.

The traditional Vickrey auction system is well known in the art andcomprises a sealed bid procedure wherein bidders submit a single sealedbid, and do not know the amount of any competing bids. The winningbidder is the bidder with the best bid (be it highest or lowest,depending on a forward or reverse auction). The winner's bid however isignored and the winning price is set by the second best bid, or firstplace loser. By removing the winner's bid from the final price, thisauction model is thought to create an incentive to only bid one's truevalue in the auction. This is known as a truth-telling mechanism, as allbidders in the auction create only injury to their potential gains bybidding any price other than their privately held value. The resultingprices are equivalent to a live bidding auction, however they reduce thenumber of actions to reach the final price, and release bidders fromhaving to gather in one place or time to bid. However, the truth-tellingaspect of a Vickrey system is one-sided, as truthful assessments ofprivate value are made by buyers only, and lack features to allow forgroup purchasing by many bidders.

What is needed is an auction system for assessing the optimal sale priceof an item based on the blind, sealed, single-bidding by potentialbuyers (revealing the true value of the item to them personally), andthe semi-blind, sealed bidding by sellers (revealing the number of itemsthey are willing to sell and the minimum profit margin they are willingto accept per item). In such an invention, “blind” can mean that thepotential buyer has no knowledge of other potential buyers' bids nor thebids of potential sellers; “semi-blind” can mean that the potentialsellers have knowledge of buyer bids, but no knowledge of otherpotential sellers' bids. Because potential buyers can reveal their bidsto potential sellers, normal sales and marketing costs to the sellersare greatly reduced, resulting in prices lower than what would bepossible in a standard retail environment, and thereby attracting morebuyers.

In such a system, buyers could solicit items from sellers, eliminatingmuch customer acquisition and selling costs and labor required in atraditional sale transaction. Moreover, in such a system, buyers cangroup together while maintaining individuality, and incentives to bothbuyer and seller reduce “game” mentality among bidders and simplify timeinvestments.

A system that creates individual and different group purchase bids bybuyers can also entice additional network effects by making use ofdifferent individual demands. While one price will result to a group ofbuyers with different bids, buyers are left with different remains invalue from their true private bid. To maximize network effects a 2^(nd)transaction can be placed within this value, examples including adonation to charity of some or all of the price difference, or carboncredit purchases to offset environmental impacts of their purchase. Thisallows for a single set of buyers to group bid despite differentmotivations, those seeking cheaper prices through group bidding, andthose seeking to transfer purchases to a system that can transfer normalindustry costs such as customer acquisition to more noble causes. Buyerscan also be divided into sub groups based upon criteria such asgeographic region, resulting in a single group having multiple winningsellers and multiple winning buyer groups, all while still requiringonly one action per user.

A system that generates individual buyer bids in a group, will result ina demand curve of buyers. Since the seller's bid will be raised to the2^(nd) lowest offer, there is the possibility that some buyers that thewinning seller was willing to sell to will be left out. In some cases itmay have been optimal for the seller to have a lower price that resultsin a higher quantity of buyer bids captured. Such a system can allow forwinning sellers to lower their bid within a “price window” between theiroriginal sealed bid and the 2^(nd) best bid, to capture higher quantityif so desired. Any adjustment in price would benefit all parties, as itwould only occur if the seller deemed it more optimal than the winningprice, and buyers only stand to gain from a lower price (regardless ofwhether they are doing multiple transactions within their single bid).The resulting lower price is unique to this auction system versus theknown auction art, and would not occur in a standard reverse running orreverse Vickrey auction.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts one embodiment of an auction process 100.

FIG. 2 depicts communication of potential buyers and sellers with anauction server computer 206.

FIG. 3 depicts one embodiment of a buyer bidding process.

FIG. 4 depicts one embodiment of a buyer demand curve generationprocess.

FIG. 5 depicts one embodiment of a pricing option window.

FIG. 6 depicts one embodiment of a seller bidding process.

FIG. 7 depicts one embodiment of a system matching process, priceadjustment option, and payment transaction.

FIG. 8 depicts embodiments of notification and demand curve windows.

FIG. 9 depicts one embodiment of a portion of a buyer bidding process,including a determination of whether a second transaction is desired.

FIG. 10 depicts one embodiment of a plurality of buyer groups that canbe formed when a geographic limitation is chosen by potential buyers.

FIG. 11 depicts one embodiment of a buyer demand curve.

FIG. 12 depicts one embodiment of a hardware implementation of anauction system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As shown in FIG. 1, an auction process 100 can be comprised of aplurality of the following steps: buyer bidding 102; demand curvegeneration 104; seller bidding 106; system matching 108; determinationof winning buyer(s), seller, and ultimate sale price 110; priceadjustment 111, if applicable; completion of payment transaction 112;and secondary or multiple transactions 114, if applicable. As shown inFIG. 2, an auction process 100 can be effectuated by one or morepotential buyers 202 and one or more potential sellers 204 communicatingwith an auction site server computer 206. An auction site servercomputer 206 can store and process information inputted by potentialbuyers and sellers 202 204, as well as perform other desired ornecessary functions. As appreciated, while a web-based site via abrowser will be generally used for explanation purposes, differentsystems or environments can be used as appropriate to implement variousembodiments, such as access via a smart phone application (or “app”).

A buyer bidding process 102 is depicted in FIG. 3. In step 301, apotential buyer 202 can sign up to use an auction site or, if thepotential buyer 202 is already a member of the auction site and personalinformation is already stored in a customer database 210, can log intothe auction site with required login information, such as name andpassword. In other embodiments, an auction site may not requiremembership to use the site, and a potential buyer 202 may be able to bidon and purchase an item or service without permanently storing personalinformation on an auction site server 206.

In step 302, a potential buyer 202 can search or navigate the auctionsite's item/service database 208 to locate the name of the item orservice that the potential buyer 202 wishes to bid on and purchase. Ifthe name of the desired item or service is found in the item/servicedatabase 208, a potential buyer 202 can proceed to step 304 and selectthe item/service name, by clicking on the name or otherwise, and proceedwith the next step 308 of the bidding process. If the name of thedesired item or service is not found in the item/service database 208, apotential buyer 202 can proceed to step 306 and manually input a nameand/or description of the desired item or service, and such name can beadded to the item/service database 208 either temporarily orpermanently.

Once a desired item or service is identified, in step 308 a potentialbuyer 202 can input a bid 309. A buyer bid 309 can reflect the truthfulvalue that a potential buyer 202 gives to an item or service. A buyerbid 309 can also reflect the true spending limits that a potential buyer202 has for a particular auction. In some instances, a buyer bid 309 canalso include contact information, credit information, deliveryrequirements, or any other known and/or convenient piece of informationor parameter. This information can be stored along with the bid 309amount in a buyer bid database 212, as shown in FIG. 2.

In some embodiments, a buyer bid 309 can be sealed, such that otherpotential buyers 202 are unable to view the amount of a bid 309 or thequantity of other bidders 202. However, in alternate embodiments, whilethe amount of a bid 309 can remain sealed, potential buyers 202 can viewthe number of other potential buyers 202 who have made bids 309. Suchinformation can be viewed in real-time as new bids 309 are submitted, orat the close of an auction. In yet other embodiments, some potentialbuyers 202 may have the option to unseal their bids 309. This embodimentis discussed in further detail below with respect to charity auctions.

An auction 100 can be set up such that a potential buyer's bid 309 caninclude the total price he or she is willing to pay, including shippingand/or taxes. In the alternative, shipping and sales tax (or any otheradditional cost) can be disclosed beforehand, but not included in thebuyer's bid 309. This can be useful in situations where a seller 204wishes to provide multiple shipping options to a buyer 202, each withdifferent prices.

The buyer bidding process 102 can be closed upon reaching apredetermined quantity of buyer bids 309. In other embodiments,buyer-bidding 102 can proceed until a predetermined ending time. In step310, a potential buyer 202 can submit a bid 309. Once a bid 309 issubmitted, a potential buyer 202 can be contractually obligated topurchase the item for which they bid, up to the amount of their bid 309,should they be a winner of the auction 100. In step 312, the bid 309 canthen be transmitted to an auction site server 206 and stored in a buyerbid database 212 (see FIG. 2).

One embodiment of a demand curve generation process 104 is depicted inFIG. 4. Continuing from the buyer bidding process 102, where in step 312buyer bids 309 can be collected and stored in a buyer bid database 212,in step 401 a product data set 214 can be generated from bid data 212.Subsequently, in step 402, a buyer demand curve 216 can be generated. Abuyer demand curve 216 can plot the number of bidders against bid 309price, and can be used by potential sellers 204 when making bids foroffers for sale. In step 404, a buyer demand curve 216 can be displayedon a potential seller's 204 computer or other internet-connected device.Additionally, in some embodiments and in step 406, pricing options 218can be generated and displayed to aid a potential seller 204 in theseller bidding process 106. Moreover, at any point in the demand curvegeneration process 104, if new buyer bids 309 are submitted, a productset 214 can be updated in step 408. Once a product set 214 is updated instep 408, a new buyer demand curve 216 can be generated, displayed, and,in some embodiments, pricing options 218 can be updated and displayedfor a potential seller 204.

An example of a buyer demand curve 216 is depicted in FIG. 11 anddescribed in detail below (see “Economic Analysis” section). A buyerdemand curve 216 can be created and/or viewed by a potential seller 204at any desired and/or logical time in the auction process 100. In oneembodiment, a buyer demand curve 216 can be created and viewed by apotential seller 204 as soon as the first buyer bid 309 is submitted andstored on an auction server 206 (i.e., the first point can be plotted onthe curve 216 and viewed by a potential seller 204). In otherembodiments, a buyer demand curve 216 can be created and/or viewed by apotential seller only after all buyer bids 309 have been collected. Inalternate embodiments, a buyer demand curve 216 can be created and/orviewed by a potential seller after some, but not all, buyer bids 309have been received by an auction server 206, or at any other convenientor desired point in time. In some embodiments, a product data set 214can be displayed in tabular or any other convenient form in addition toor in lieu of a buyer demand curve 216.

In one embodiment, a potential buyer 202 can select a period of time forwhich their bid 309 for a given item should remain open. Thus, theproduct data set 214 from which a buyer demand curve 216 can be createddoes not contain a specific start and end time, but is an ongoing poolof all non-expired bids. This “living list” expands and contracts asbids 309 expire and new bids 309 are entered. Potential sellers 204 canview this list and make offers for sale.

In an alternate embodiment of the living list embodiment describedabove, a seller 204 can elect to start an auction 100 by placing an “A”offer and a “B” offer, each with specific time frames for remainingopen. The A offer can be implemented as a sealed bid to a specificsection of a demand curve 216, with the winning price 701 and winningquantity both determined by the second lowest seller bid 608 (see FIGS.6-7). If any additional bids 309 are introduced after a seller's 204 Aoffer has been extended, those bids 309 can be considered after theconclusion of the A offer. If the A offer bid closes without any sale orwithout enough sales, the B offer can be implemented to help capturemore buyers 202.

As previously noted, in some embodiments a buyer's bid 309 can comprisemultiple price elements or can be intended to reflect the total amountthat a buyer 202 is willing to pay, including taxes, shipping or otherelements. In such an embodiment, if non-profit-producing price elementsmust be taken into account, such as shipping or sales tax for buyers incertain states, a demand curve 216 can be adjusted to reduce buyer bids309 by those elements, revealing the true price that can be taken intoaccount when a potential seller 202 is calculating potential profitmargins.

Pricing option data 218 can be displayed for a potential seller 204 toaid in their determination of an appropriate seller's bid. Once aproduct data set 214 and/or buyer demand curve 216 is generated, pricingoptions 218 can be calculated and displayed setting forth the possibleprofitability for each bid 309 or combination of bids 309. The possibleprofit can be calculated by multiplying the quantity of the sale itemdesired by a potential buyer 309 (or group of potential buyers 309) in adata set 214 or demand curve 216, by the profit margin for each bid 309.This method can allow a potential seller 204 to review all of theiroptions and make an informed decision regarding how much to bid duringthe seller bidding process 106.

For example, referring to FIG. 5, in an auction for the sale of TV's,pricing option data 218 can be displayed showing that, based on bids 309submitted by potential buyers 202, a seller 204 can sell 10 TV's at $100each for a net profit of X dollars, or alternatively can sell 11 TV's at$95 each for a net profit of Y dollars.

Moreover, in some embodiments, pricing options 218 can be presented on abuyer demand curve 216 as a plurality of rectangular representationscorresponding to potential profit margins for capturing different setsof buyers 202. In such a visualization, the goal is to maximize the areaof a rectangle, which is set by quantity sold (length) multiplied byprice different between sell price and bid price (height). In someembodiments, a seller 204 can click on or roll over a rectangle todisplay profit data.

Using the aforementioned data tools 214, 216, and/or 218, a potentialseller 204 can proceed with the seller bidding process 106. Referring toFIG. 6, a potential seller 204 can input a bid 608 in step 602 of theseller bidding process 106. The bid 608 can be submitted in step 604,and transmitted and stored in a seller bid database 220 in step 606.

After seller bidding 106, an auction system 100 can determine a winningseller 204, winning buyers 204, and the final sale price for each item.Referring to FIG. 7, in step 702 of a system matching process 108, aseller bid database 220 can be utilized to determine a derived salesprice 701. A derived sales price 701 can be the second-lowest seller bid608, but the winning seller 204 can be the one with the lowest sellerbid 608. Next, in step 704, a product data set 214 and/or buyer demandcurve 216 can be utilized to determine winning buyer bids 309. Thewinning seller 204, derived sales price 701, and winning buyer bids 309can be stored on an auction server computer 206 in a results database222.

In situations in which there are more winning buyer bids 309 than awinning seller 204 has supply, the available supply can be allocated viarandom lottery, which can preserve truthful bidding. In otherembodiments, available supply can be allocated to the buyers 202 withthe highest bids 309. In an alternate embodiment, available supply canbe given to those buyers 202 whose bids 309 have the highest donation orsecond transaction 114 amount (discussed below). In yet otherembodiments, available supply can be dispersed in any other known and/orconvenient manner.

Once winning data has been stored in a results database 222, in step 706the auction system 100 can determine whether a price adjustment option111 is available to the winning seller 204. If NO, one or more paymenttransactions 112 can be initiated to compensate the winning seller 204for the sale of items or services to each winning buyer 202. If YES, aprice adjustment step 111 can be commenced.

In a price adjustment step 111, once a winning seller 204 is chosen, andthe second lowest offer for sale 608 is determined to be the sellingprice 701, the winning seller 204 can be given the option to reduce theprice even further in an effort to sell more items (since selling a lotof items at the lower price may be more advantageous to a seller thanselling just a few items at a higher price). Referring to FIG. 8, anotification window 801 can notify the winning seller 204 that he hasthe option to reduce the selling price 701 to any number between theseller's original bid 608 and the second-lowest seller bid 608. In someembodiments, a demand curve window 802 can be displayed such that awinning seller 204 can view the demand curve 216 with the priceadjustment option 111 shown graphically. In some embodiments, theauction system 100 can calculate profit margins for the winning seller204 and an additional display can show the winning seller 204 whetherlowering the selling price 701 can maximize his profit. This option 111can allow for the potential for even lower sale prices than both retailand other known auctions systems such as reverse auctions, since awinning seller 204 can actually see, from the demand curve, whetherlowering the price further would be beneficial.

Second or Multiple Additional Transactions

An auction system 100 can also include the option for a secondtransaction 114, whereby at the time of bidding, a potential buyer 202can choose to have any difference between their bid 308 and the finalsale price 701 applied to another transaction, should they win.Referring to FIG. 9, after step 308 in the buyer bidding process 102, apotential buyer 202 can proceed to step 901 and determine whether asecond transaction 114 is desired. If NO, the potential buyer 202 cansimply proceed to step 310 and submit a bid 309. If YES, the potentialbuyer 202 can proceed to step 902 and choose options for a secondtransaction 114, should one have the chance to occur, such as type ofsecond transaction 114, amount of difference to be applied to a secondtransaction 114, or any other known and/or convenient parameter oroption. After options are chosen in step 902, a potential buyer 202 canproceed to step 310 and submit a bid 309. In other embodiments, step 901can happen prior to or concurrent with step 308, or at any other knownand/or convenient time in an auction process 100.

In some embodiments, the difference between bid 308 and final sale price701 can be applied to a bank savings account of the buyer 202, can beconverted to a buyer credit on the auction site, or can be applied topay for more expensive shipping methods such as next day orenvironmentally friendly shipping, or transferred to any other knownand/or convenient account or entity. Multiple additional transactionscan be contained within this option and attached to a bid, and this“second” transaction should not be considered limited to a single choiceor option.

In one embodiment, a transaction type can be donation to one or morecharitable organizations. In some embodiments, a buyer 202 can choose tohave only a portion of the difference donated to charity. For example,in one situation a buyer 202 may choose to donate 50% of the differenceto charity, while having the remaining 50% transferred to a savingsaccount. In some embodiments, a certain auction 100 can be associatedwith a particular charity. In other embodiments, a potential buyer 202can choose from a list of charities. In yet other embodiments, a buyercan chose the charity option, but not pick the actual charity untilafter the auction has closed (and possibly after the winning buyer 202has be notified of the amount that will go to charity).

Additionally, in situations where a second transaction option 114 isavailable to a potential buyer 202, there can also be an option to havea potential buyer's bid 309 made visible to the public or otherpotential buyers 202 (a potential buyer 202 can choose this option instep 902 of FIG. 9). This embodiment can be implemented for charityauctions or for regular auctions where some bidders choose to donate anyexcess of a bid 309 to a charity. Having non-sealed bids can make anauction 100 more social, and can provide visibility of bids to encouragemore bidding, promote an auction 100, or promote higher bidding in acharity auction. In some embodiments, special recognition could be givento the highest charity bid received in an auction 100, either at theconclusion of the auction 100 or at some point prior to the end of theauction 100.

In some embodiments, an auction process 100 can be performed by buyersand sellers 202 204 visiting an auction website. However, in otherembodiments, buyers and/or sellers 202 204 can have the option of usingsocial media such as Facebook or Twitter to submit bids. In yet otherembodiments, bidding can be performed via mobile phone text messaging orany other known and/or convenient method. In some embodiments, data canbe submitted and/or received by a third-party application or device,such as when a person enables an external phone or web application todisplay bid activity in real-time, or when a potential buyer or seller202 204 inputs a bid amount and sends that amount to an auction siteserver 206.

Geographic Regions

In some embodiments of an auction process 100, potential buyers orsellers 202 204 can choose to define one or more geographic regions withwhich they would like to do business. For instance, a potential buyer202 may choose to accept seller bids 608 from local sellers 204 only, inorder to allow for quick and easy pick-up from a seller's 204 warehouse.In such an embodiment, multiple buyer groups, multiple sellers, anddifferent final sale prices can result.

For example, referring to FIG. 10, a particular auction 100 can resultin potential buyers 202 wishing to do business with sellers 204 in twogeographic regions 1000: San Francisco, Calif. and/or Oakland, Calif. Afirst group 1001 of buyers 202 chooses to purchase from sellers in SanFrancisco, Calif. only; there are 10 buyers in the group 1001, and eachsubmits a bid 309 of $1000 for an item. A second group 1002 of buyers202 chooses to purchase from sellers located in either San Francisco,Calif. or Oakland, Calif.; there are 10 buyers in the group 1002, andeach submits a bid 309 of $1000 for an item. Finally, a third group 1003of buyers 202 chooses to purchase from sellers located in Oakland,Calif. only; there are 10 buyers in the group 1003, and each submits abid 309 of $950 for an item.

Continuing with the foregoing example, Two sellers (“A” & “B”) in SanFrancisco, Calif. have the inventory for the item desired, and they bidto sell their items at prices of $975 (Seller A) and $925 (Seller B).Two sellers in Oakland, Calif. have the inventory for the item desired,and they bid to sell their items at prices of $950 (Seller C) and $900(Seller D).

For the 10 buyers offering only to buy from San Francisco, Calif.sellers, this localized auction 100 has only 2 seller bids for them:$975 and $925. As such, Seller B wins this business at $975 (the secondlowest seller bid in this localized auction).

For the 10 buyers offering to buy from San Francisco, Calif. or Oakland,Calif. sellers, this localized auction 100 has all 4 seller bids. Thetwo lowest are $900 and $925, so Seller D wins at Seller B's bid priceof $925.

For the 10 buyers offering to buy from Oakland, Calif. only, thislocalized auction has only 2 seller bids for them: $950 and $900. Assuch, Seller D wins at Seller C's price of $950.

As shown by the foregoing example, by setting geographic regions 1000,some seller bids 608 may or may not apply to various segments of sellers204. Each seller 204 can see a different buyer demand curve 216 as well(i.e., San Francisco, Calif. sellers see only groups 1001 and 1002 intheir demand curves 216; Oakland, Calif. sellers see only groups 1002and 1003 in their demand curves 216). In this embodiment, a priceadjustment option 111 can still be presented to winning sellers 204, inwhich they can lower a selling price 701 in order to capture unmetdemand.

In some embodiments, other requirements of a seller's bid can be used todivide sellers into different groups, in addition to geographic regionsmentioned previously. An example is whether a seller is an “authorizedseller” of a particular product, which can affect the duration andcoverage of a manufacturer warranty. Similar to geographic regions, somebids might not be available to some sellers, if they were not authorizedsellers and buyers did not allow for their bid to be available to such aseller. An alternative set of limitations could include limitationsregarding what features a product must support, to allow for buyers tobid without specifying a specific product. Additionally, limitationssuch as region, authorization, or any other known or convenientparameter or limitation can be applied to buyers (i.e., a seller canchoose to do business with only the buyers that meet certain criteria).Multiple limitations can be used simultaneously to create any number ofdifferent demand curves, winning sellers, and winning prices, withoutchanging the auction system from a single action, single group bid poolsystem.

Economic Analysis

An auction process 100 is a modification of second price auctions, suchas Vickrey and Vickrey-type auctions, and can result in benefits forboth sellers and bidders. Bidders are encouraged to use this model forseveral reasons. Unlike other auction models, such as those seen atauction sites such as eBay, the bidders are not competing with eachother for goods. Unlike a Vickrey auction (where the 2^(nd) highest bidof a buyer sets the ultimate price) or auction sites like eBay, buyersdo not compete against each other and it is the 2^(nd) lowest bid of aseller that determines price. This system enables profit maximization byallowing a seller to view buyer demand information prior to divulgingsupply and desired minimum sale price, as well as allowing a winningseller to adjust sale price to capture a larger number of buyers (at areduced price—see above discussion on “price adjustments”).

In many instances, doing business via the Internet results in reducedinformation costs. The foregoing auction model 100 is intended tofurther reduce costs for sellers, by allowing buyers to find each other,prior to purchasing items, in order to buy items with a group.

By that same token, the system is beneficial for buyers, as sellers canbe compelled to sell at lower prices than retail or other types ofauctions, especially when the demand curve reveals that the total marginis below the winning price (i.e., “Pareto optimal” at a lower price—allparties are better off in this situation). Moreover, if the cost toacquire customers via this method is reduced below the costs to acquirecustomers using traditional marketing and sales techniques, then costsavings can potentially be passed to buyers—a fact alone that couldencourage a buyer to use the system 100.

In one embodiment of an auction system 100, single sealed bids are used.In other auction models, opportunity costs arise when bidders do notreveal private value, but instead bid incrementally and monitor auctionsto determine if bids should be raised. Even in proxy bid auctions, wherea bidder submits an initial unsealed bid as well as a maximum bid forthe system to use to maximize the bidder's chance of winning the auction(while the bidder is not monitoring the auction), not all buyers chooseto submit their highest private value. In the current auction system100, since buyers bid only once, and the final price is set by sellerbids, buyers can confidently place only a single and true bid for theirprivate value of a good, and all without needing to monitor the auction.Auction systems with many concurrent auctions for the same or similargood can result in a failure of proxy bidding, as there is an incentiveto “move” to another auction as you approach your true bid limit,resulting in the abandonment of opportunity costs sunk into a currentauction in the hopes of achieving a lower price in another auction.

Sellers are encouraged to use the system 100 by virtue of pricediscrimination. Effective price discrimination requires the ability todifferentiate between types of buyers, offer different buyers differentprices, and prevent buyers willing to pay a higher amount from securingitems at a reduced price. Because bidders are contractually obligated tobuy an item that meets their price, sellers know that if they choose tobid and win an auction, most or all of the customers give a price viaauction that they would not have been able to obtain through traditionalpurchasing methods. Thus, these customers are potentially ones who couldhave purchased at standard retail rates. In order to maximize margin,sellers must partake in auctions, and must bid their true lowest price,or face the inferior alternatives of both no revenue and no potentialfor revenue from these customers, as they will be serviced by anotherseller in the auction.

Auction systems contain strong network effects, in that the value of thesystem increases for each user with each additional user. Theabove-described second transaction option 114, which puts part or all ofthe difference between a bidder's private value and the winning bid, isintended to create groups of diverse buyers. The network effects ofpotential groups of bidders using the charity version of the secondtransaction option 114 (people willing to pay a specific price, butwilling to use the second transaction option 114 instead of traditionalpurchasing, as means for giving to charity), can be combined withbidders bidding because they cannot purchase at a price that isavailable from stores or sellers, and bidders willing to buy throughtraditional methods but seeking to ensure the lowest price. These threedifferent groups of potential bidders can be combined to create networkeffects that create better results for any group individually.

The resulting demand curve created by having these three types ofbidders represents a diverse enough overall buyer group that sellers arealmost guaranteed a satisfactory choice of buyers. This can encouragesellers to bid and bid truthfully. While this method creates a uniqueunknown for sellers, an unknown in both price and quantity, that is notpresent in other methods such as the standard Vickrey auction, theresults of all actors acting truthfully and together within this modelcreates results that are Pareto efficient for all winning participants,both buyer and seller.

An example of an auction process 100 incorporating the secondtransaction option 114 and having a diverse group of potential buyers202 is illustrated in FIG. 11 and described below.

Forty (40) potential buyers 202 bid for an item, to be shipped to theirrespective addresses. Ten (10) potential buyers 202 enter the auction100 due to the charity component, and bid the common retail price of$1000 for the item, with any price reduction to go to charity. Thesebidders chose this system 100 not to save money, but because they havean interest in transferring their purchase from traditional means tothis method 100, in order to pass along the benefits of market signalingfor price discrimination (and sales and marketing costs) to charity.

Ten (10) potential buyers 202 enter the auction 100 to attempt to find alower price than available through traditional markets. All tenpotential buyers bid $1000 for an item, a price that would allow them topurchase through other means, but they prefer to transfer their purchaseto this model due to the potential for savings.

Twenty (20) more potential buyers 202 bid incrementally lower than$1000, from $990 down to $800. These potential buyers are using thismodel 100 because they cannot be included in the standard market, astheir private values are beneath the market price of the item beingauctioned.

Three (3) sellers, after review of the potential buyers, decide to bidon a selection of potential customers. A first seller submits a bid tocreate a contract to sell 30 items at $900 per item. A second sellersubmits a bid to sell 35 items at $850 per item. A third seller submitsa bid to sell 40 items at $800 per item.

The third seller wins, since they had the lowest bid, but the final saleprice is set at $850, the second lowest bid. The third seller thereforebecomes contractually obligated to sell 35 items at $850, to the groupof buyers 202 who placed bids of $850 or more.

If all sellers rationally offered their private value, or minimumacceptable margin, as is most efficient in this model, then the thirdseller will receive a margin identified by the area DFGH in FIG. 11.This area is the margin that would have been lost by not bidding. Thebidder could not have made a different bid to secure a higher margin,and this is their optimal result. Should an auction result in a lowerprice being more optimal to the seller, the “price window” following theauction close would allow for the seller to adjust to this more optimalresult, although this example does not show a utilization of thisfeature.

The 25 potential buyers who bid $850 or higher, without opting in forthe second transaction 114, are contractually obligated to purchase anitem at $850. If the group of buyers seeking to lower prices actedrationally and in their best interest, their bid offers of $990 through$800 represent their true private value of purchasing the item throughthis auction method 100. The utility gained by these 25 buyers is areaBCEF in FIG. 11. The bidders could not have made a different bid tosecure a higher margin, and this is their optimal result.

The 10 potential buyers who bid $1000, and opted for the secondtransaction 114 using the difference between the final price 701 andtheir private values, are contractually obligated to purchase an item at$850. They also have entered into a contract to donate $150 to charity.If they are rational actors, they chose the second transaction 114because they see the value of each excess dollar as higher if donatedthan kept, and thus their utility gain is a minimum area ABDE in FIG.11.

Five potential buyers did not receive an item via the auction. If theirprices bid reflect their true private value of the item, they could nothave increased their utility by submitted any other bid amount, and thisis the optimal result of the auction for these five bidders.

Despite the five potential buyers not receiving an item having bids thatexceeded the acceptable bid of the winning seller, in order to ensuretruth-telling mechanism on both sides of the auction, these bids must beexcluded. This truth-telling mechanism is essential to ensuring the bestresults for all actors within the auction model, and differs from manyother auction systems which emphasis second round negotiation or counteroffers as part of the bidding system. The end result of this example isa contract between 35 buyers and one seller, with prices and quantity ofitems set by the second lowest seller bid, for the purchase of 35 itemsat $850 each. An additional 10 transactions occur, at a price of thedifference between the privately held value of the 10 buyers who optedinto potential second transactions 114 at the time of bidding, with theproceeds given to the organization picked at the time of bidding.

The execution of the sequences of instructions required to practice theaforementioned embodiments may be performed by a computer system 1200 asshown in FIG. 12. In an embodiment, execution of the sequences ofinstructions is performed by a single computer system 1200. According toother embodiments, two or more computer systems 1200 coupled by acommunication link 1215 may perform the sequence of instructions incoordination with one another. Although a description of only onecomputer system 1200 will be presented below, however, it should beunderstood that any number of computer systems 1200 may be employed topractice the embodiments.

A computer system 1200 according to an embodiment will now be describedwith reference to FIG. 12, which is a block diagram of the functionalcomponents of a computer system 1200. As used herein, the term computersystem 1200 is broadly used to describe any computing device that canstore and independently run one or more programs.

Each computer system 1200 may include a communication interface 1214coupled to the bus 1206. The communication interface 1214 providestwo-way communication between computer systems 1200. The communicationinterface 1214 of a respective computer system 1200 transmits andreceives electrical, electromagnetic or optical signals, that includedata streams representing various types of signal information, e.g.,instructions, messages and data. A communication link 1215 links onecomputer system 1200 with another computer system 1200. For example, thecommunication link 1215 may be a LAN, in which case the communicationinterface 1214 may be a LAN card, or the communication link 1215 may bea PSTN, in which case the communication interface 1214 may be anintegrated services digital network (ISDN) card or a modem, or thecommunication link 1215 may be the Internet, in which case thecommunication interface 1214 may be a dial-up, cable or wireless modem.

A computer system 1200 may transmit and receive messages, data, andinstructions, including program, i.e., application, code, through itsrespective communication link 1215 and communication interface 1214.Received program code may be executed by the respective processor(s)1207 as it is received, and/or stored in the storage device 1210, orother associated non-volatile media, for later execution.

In an embodiment, the computer system 1200 operates in conjunction witha data storage system 1231, e.g., a data storage system 1231 thatcontains a database 1232 that is readily accessible by the computersystem 1200. The computer system 1200 communicates with the data storagesystem 1231 through a data interface 1233. A data interface 1233, whichis coupled to the bus 1206, transmits and receives electrical,electromagnetic or optical signals, that include data streamsrepresenting various types of signal information, e.g., instructions,messages and data. In embodiments, the functions of the data interface1233 may be performed by the communication interface 1214.

Computer system 1200 includes a bus 1206 or other communicationmechanism for communicating instructions, messages and data,collectively, information, and one or more processors 1207 coupled withthe bus 1206 for processing information. Computer system 1200 alsoincludes a main memory 1208, such as a random access memory (RAM) orother dynamic storage device, coupled to the bus 1206 for storingdynamic data and instructions to be executed by the processor(s) 1207.The main memory 1208 also may be used for storing temporary data, i.e.,variables, or other intermediate information during execution ofinstructions by the processor(s) 1207.

The computer system 1200 may further include a read only memory (ROM)1209 or other static storage device coupled to the bus 1206 for storingstatic data and instructions for the processor(s) 1207. A storage device1210, such as a magnetic disk or optical disk, may also be provided andcoupled to the bus 1206 for storing data and instructions for theprocessor(s) 1207.

A computer system 1200 may be coupled via the bus 1206 to a displaydevice 1211, such as, but not limited to, a cathode ray tube (CRT), fordisplaying information to a user. An input device 1212, e.g.,alphanumeric and other keys, is coupled to the bus 1206 forcommunicating information and command selections to the processor(s)1207.

According to one embodiment, an individual computer system 1200 performsspecific operations by their respective processor(s) 1207 executing oneor more sequences of one or more instructions contained in the mainmemory 1208. Such instructions may be read into the main memory 1208from another computer-usable medium, such as the ROM 1209 or the storagedevice 1210. Execution of the sequences of instructions contained in themain memory 1208 causes the processor(s) 1207 to perform the processesdescribed herein. In alternative embodiments, hard-wired circuitry maybe used in place of or in combination with software instructions. Thus,embodiments are not limited to any specific combination of hardwarecircuitry and/or software.

The term “computer-usable medium,” as used herein, refers to any mediumthat provides information or is usable by the processor(s) 1207. Such amedium may take many forms, including, but not limited to, non-volatile,volatile and transmission media. Non-volatile media, i.e., media thatcan retain information in the absence of power, includes the ROM 1209,CD ROM, magnetic tape, and magnetic discs. Volatile media, i.e., mediathat can not retain information in the absence of power, includes themain memory 1208. Transmission media includes coaxial cables, copperwire and fiber optics, including the wires that comprise the bus 1206.Transmission media can also take the form of carrier waves; i.e.,electromagnetic waves that can be modulated, as in frequency, amplitudeor phase, to transmit information signals. Additionally, transmissionmedia can take the form of acoustic or light waves, such as thosegenerated during radio wave and infrared data communications.

In the foregoing specification, the embodiments have been described withreference to specific elements thereof. It will, however, be evidentthat various modifications and changes may be made thereto withoutdeparting from the broader spirit and scope of the embodiments. Forexample, the reader is to understand that the specific ordering andcombination of process actions shown in the process flow diagramsdescribed herein is merely illustrative, and that using different oradditional process actions, or a different combination or ordering ofprocess actions can be used to enact the embodiments. The specificationand drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative ratherthan restrictive sense.

It should also be noted that the present invention may be implemented ina variety of computer systems. The various techniques described hereinmay be implemented in hardware or software, or a combination of both.Preferably, the techniques are implemented in computer programsexecuting on programmable computers that each include a processor, astorage medium readable by the processor (including volatile andnon-volatile memory and/or storage elements), at least one input device,and at least one output device. Program code is applied to data enteredusing the input device to perform the functions described above and togenerate output information. The output information is applied to one ormore output devices. Each program is preferably implemented in a highlevel procedural or object oriented programming language to communicatewith a computer system. However, the programs can be implemented inassembly or machine language, if desired. In any case, the language maybe a compiled or interpreted language. Each such computer program ispreferably stored on a storage medium or device (e.g., ROM or magneticdisk) that is readable by a general or special purpose programmablecomputer for configuring and operating the computer when the storagemedium or device is read by the computer to perform the proceduresdescribed above. The system may also be considered to be implemented asa computer-readable storage medium, configured with a computer program,where the storage medium so configured causes a computer to operate in aspecific and predefined manner. Further, the storage elements of theexemplary computing applications may be relational or sequential (flatfile) type computing databases that are capable of storing data invarious combinations and configurations.

Although exemplary embodiments of the invention has been described indetail above, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that manyadditional modifications are possible in the exemplary embodimentswithout materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages ofthe invention. Accordingly, these and all such modifications areintended to be included within the scope of this invention construed inbreadth and scope in accordance with the appended claims.

1. An online auction method, the method comprising the steps of:effectuating a buyer bidding process; generating a buyer demand curve;effectuating a seller bidding process; determining a winning seller,final sales price for an item, and at least one winning buyer bid basedon said final sales price; introducing to the winning seller a priceadjustment option; adjusting said final sales price if said winningseller chooses to lower said final sales price; and initiating paymentof said final sales price from the at least one winning buyer to saidwinning seller.
 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising at leastone additional transaction prior to initiating payment of said finalsales price.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein said at least oneadditional transaction is a donation to charity equal to at least aportion of the difference between said final sales price and a winningbuyer's initial bid.
 4. The method of claim 1, further comprisingpresenting pricing option data to a seller prior to said seller biddingprocess.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein said buyer bidding processcomprises the steps of: entering a potential buyer's information to gainaccess to an auction website; searching said auction website's itemdatabase to locate a desired item or service; selecting a specificdesired item or service; inputting a buyer bid for said desired item orservice; submitting said buyer bid to said auction website; and storingsaid buyer bid in the buyer bid database of the auction server computerof said auction website.
 6. The method of claim 5, further comprisingthe step of determining whether an additional transaction is desiredprior to submitting said buyer bid.
 7. The method of claim 5, whereinsaid buyer bid is sealed and not viewable by other potential buyers orthe public.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the generation of saidbuyer demand curve comprises the steps of: collecting at least one buyerbid and storing said at least one buyer bid in a buyer bid database;generating a product data set based on said at least one buyer bid andbuyer information; generating a buyer demand curve from said productdata set; updating said product data set upon receipt of one or more newbuyer bids; displaying said buyer demand curve for viewing by apotential seller; updating said buyer demand curve upon receipt of oneor more new buyer bids; generating a set of pricing options for use bysaid potential seller; and updating said set of pricing options uponreceipt of one or more new buyer bids.
 9. The method of claim 1, whereinsaid product data set is modified to remove applicable sales tax orshipping charges from said buyer bids, prior to said generation of saidbuyer demand curve.
 10. The method of claim 1, wherein said sellerbidding process comprises the steps of: viewing said buyer demand curvegenerated by an auction website; inputting a seller bid based on apotential seller's analysis of said buyer demand curve; submitting saidseller bid to said auction website; and storing said seller bid in theseller bid database of the auction server computer of said auctionwebsite.
 11. The method of claim 1, wherein said buyer bidding processfurther comprises the step of choosing at least one additional buyingparameter, other than price, chosen from the group consisting of:geographic location of a seller, credentials of a seller, productspecifications, and shipping options.
 12. A process for implementing anonline auction via a computer system, comprising: transmitting buyer biddata from a buyer's computer to an auction server computer; storing saidbuyer bid data in memory on said auction server computer; processingsaid buyer bid data in the processor of said auction server computer andperforming calculations based on said buyer bid data; transmitting saidbuyer bid data to a seller's computer and displaying a buyer demandcurve graphically corresponding to said buyer bid data; transmittingseller bid data from a seller's computer to an auction server computer;storing said seller bid data in memory on said auction server computer;processing said seller bid data in the processor of said auction servercomputer; performing calculations based on said buyer bid data andseller bid data to produce data representing a winning seller, a winningauction price, and at least one winning buyer; storing said datarepresenting a winning seller, a winning auction price, and at least onewinning buyer on said auction server computer; transmitting said datarepresenting a winning seller, a winning auction price, and at least onewinning buyer to at least one buyer's computer and at least one seller'scomputer; and transmitting data from said auction server computer to athird-party payment site for initiating a payment transaction between awinning seller and at least one winning buyer at a winning auctionprice.
 13. An article of manufacture comprising: a computer-readablemedium having stored thereon a data structure; a first field containingdata representing identifying types of items or services that can beauctioned; a second field containing data representing customerinformation; a third field containing data representing buyer bidinformation; a fourth field containing data representing buyer demandcurve information; a fifth field containing data representing seller bidinformation; and a sixth field containing data representing the resultsof an auction, including a winning seller, a winning price, and one ormore winning buyers.
 14. The article of manufacture of claim 13, furthercomprising: a seventh field containing data representing pricing optioninformation; and an eighth field containing data representing secondtransaction information.